HH62/1/DUMFRI/33

Transcription

[Page] 32

they would form convenient disinfecting stations for the Districts.
Some experiments made recently would go to show that circulating
steam applied in this way for a space of twenty minutes will penetrate
articles of considerable bulk, and effectually destroy any infectious
germs that may be lurking in their interior. In addition to all this
personal disinfection of the patient, as ordered by the medical
attendant, will also be necessary.

VITAL STATISTICS.
Population. - The gross population of the entire Civil County
at the April Census was found to 74,308, while that of the Regis-
tration County was 74,332. The latter figure may, however, be
taken as the correct Census population, the boundaries of the Civil
and Registration County being now co-terminous. These figures
include the Burghal as well as the Landward population, which is
shown in Table III.:-

TABLE III.
Populations of the County Districts.

[Table inserted]

The population in the landward part of the County has thus
diminished to the extent of 2134 persons, while the total Burghal
population has increased by 302. The only District in which there
is an increase is Dumfries. An examination of the figures for the
eight parishes comprising that District shows that this increase has
taken place in Dumfries Landward, and particularly in the Crichton
Asylum:-

[Table inserted]

[Page] 33

Excluding the Asylum population altogether, where the in-
crease is in no small measure due to the reception of a larger
number of out-County patients, it is thus seen that, while there has
been an addition of 357 (males 200, females 157) persons to the
landward part of the parish of Dumfries, there has been a decrease
in the remainder of the District of 416, or a total decrease of 59 all
over. This decrease is chiefly in the female part of the population,
their numbers being less by 158 than in 1891, while males have
increased by 99. In this respect the Dumfries District approaches
more closely than any other the conditions that have obtained all
over the Mainland Rural Districts of Scotland, in which there has
been a slight increase of males with a very considerable decrease
among females:-

TABLE IV.
Percentages of Increase or Decrease in Rural Districts
of Dumfriesshire in 10 Years.

[Table inserted]

When the excess of Births over Deaths for the ten years
1881-90 is taken into account, it is evident that the migrations of
the rural population have been very extensive. The total Births
in the six Districts for these years have been 13,512 (males 6947,
females 6545), while the Deaths, excluding those which have
occurred in the Crichton Asylum, were 7885 (males 3843, females
4042). Had no migrations occurred the total rural population
should therefore have increased in 1891 by 5627 (males 3124,
females 2503). In the six parishes - Wamphray, Cummertrees,
Tinwald, Kirkconnel, Annan Landward, and Dumfries Landward - in
which there is an advance on the figures of 1881, there is only one,
Annan Landward, in which the actual increase is in excess of the

*Crichton population deducted.